Quick Techy Question

[Heffer]

Right...

Pretty simple question

Rebuilding my lasses mams laptop and im having a problem, it was running on Vista Home Edition and was running like shite so i agreed to rebuild it with the intention of putting XP on. Unfortunately the product key I have doesnt work and I now have a version of XP which I cannot validate. I have tried to use the recovery partition to reinstall Vista for now, but I cannot access it via F8/Repair My Computer. Is that because the Vista recovery partition on the machine needs a vista installation (Corrupt or not) to be present on the disk on a seperate partition?

[Soz Marra]

Format the fucker.

[DurhamBoy]

SMB this shite.

[GoodInTheAir]

Boot from the Vista CD and format before re-installing.

[Gripper]

Originally Posted by Heffer

Right...

Pretty simple question

Rebuilding my lasses mams laptop and im having a problem, it was running on Vista Home Edition and was running like shite so i agreed to rebuild it with the intention of putting XP on. Unfortunately the product key I have doesnt work and I now have a version of XP which I cannot validate. I have tried to use the recovery partition to reinstall Vista for now, but I cannot access it via F8/Repair My Computer. Is that because the Vista recovery partition on the machine needs a vista installation (Corrupt or not) to be present on the disk on a seperate partition?

More importantly, what sites she been on? Has she been on some naughty sites?

[Bulmers]

Try ubuntu. If she doesn't use it for games she will thank you

[Heffer]

Originally Posted by DurhamBoy

SMB this shite.

Mods, please move

I dont have the disks and the only recovery method bundled with the laptop is the recovery partition. You have to send off for a recovery DVD

Originally Posted by Bulmers

Try ubuntu. If she doesn't use it for games she will thank you

Too used to Windows for that mate

[Norm]

Have you tried turning it off and back on again?

[GavMackem®]

Cos you've tried installing XP you have to repair the MBR and the BCD for Vista so it boots off the recovery image on the recovery partition. I've done it but I don't fancy spending an hour telling you how, it's dead hard even for a techie and you need the Windows Automated Installation Kit and another Vista/7 system to create a boot dvd to start the process.

Best off getting a legit XP or ordering the recovery media!

[Heffer]

Originally Posted by GavMackem®

Cos you've tried installing XP you have to repair the MBR and the BCD for Vista so it boots off the recovery image on the recovery partition. I've done it but I don't fancy spending an hour telling you how, it's dead hard even for a techie and you need the Windows Automated Installation Kit and another Vista/7 system to create a boot dvd to start the process.

Best off getting a legit XP or ordering the recovery media!

I figured it might be the master boot record. I have another machine here with Windows 7 on which i am using now and I am a techy just wasnt sure if the recovery partition needed the vista partition. (Ive fucked up not creating a recovery DVD now I realise that) If you give me the gist ill be willing to have a go, ive been on with it for ages another hour wont hurt!